Novozymes Introduces New Biofertility Inoculant

New TagTeam LCO from Novozymes is formulated to deliver excellent biofertility performance to soybean, pea and lentil crops by combining the phosphate-solubilizing benefits of Penicillium bilaii (P. bilaii), the plant growth enhancing qualities of LCO (Lipochitooligosaccharide) Promoter Technology, and crop specific nitrogen-fixing rhizobium. TagTeam LCO will be available for 2012 in both liquid and granular formulations.

“We’re excited to introduce TagTeam LCO, most importantly for the performance benefits it will bring to growers, but also because it is the first bioinnovation that is a direct result of the merging of the elite technologies of Novozymes and EMD Crop BioScience,” says Dorn Severtson, business manager USA for Novozymes. “In today’s agriculture every acre and every bushel of yield matter more than ever. Our focus at Novozymes BioAg is to continue to lead the industry in the development of beneficial biological products that enhance plant fertility and maximize yield potential. TagTeam LCO is just the first of many new biological innovations that we envision bringing to the market.”

TagTeam LCO contains elite rhizobium strains specific to the crop for which the product is formulated. The rhizobia bacteria have a symbiotic relationship with the host plant that facilitates nodulation and greater nitrogen fixation. The rhizobia in TagTeam LCO are much more efficient in facilitating the nodulation process than native rhizobia that may be in the soil.

The addition of Penicillium bilaii and LCO Promoter Technology result in a MultiAction, biofertility inoculant formulated for maximum performance and impact. P. bilaii is a phosphate solubilizer. It is a naturally occurring soil fungus that ensures adequate phosphate nutrition is available to the plant, which in turn aids the nitrogen-fixation process.

P. bilaii colonizes (grows along) plant roots. As the fungus grows and multiplies it produces organic acids that break the bonds that trap phosphate in mineral form in the soils, making this valuable crop nutrient immediately available for plants. Because of the phosphate-solubilizing qualities of P. bilaii, more root hairs develop. Each of these root hairs is a potential infection point for rhizobia. More infection points, means more nitrogen-fixing nodules, which in turn, means more yield at harvest.

The LCO Promoter Technology in TagTeam LCO gives legume plants an additional boost. Under normal circumstances, germination, root growth and plant development are heavily dependent on the environment and soil type. The LCO molecule is a naturally occurring signal technology that enhances a plant’s nutritional capabilities which drives the growth process immediately and independently of soil type and environmental conditions. LCO Promoter Technology enhances root and shoot growth, improving emergence as well as water and nutrient uptake. It’s also important to note that the enhanced root structure that LCO Promoter Technology helps facilitate contributes to improved plant health and vitality, which are critical for maximum yields.

“When you layer the benefits of Penicillium bilaii and LCO Promoter Technology on top of an elite rhizobium, TagTeam LCO delivers the kind of performance you simply can’t get from any single-action inoculant, or even a rhizobium inoculant plus a phosphate fertilizer,” Severtson notes.

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